Pak joins global efforts to fight nuclear terrorism

Washington, June 12: Pakistan has joined the US-Russia-led Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the Bush administration has said.

Pakistan's participation has brought the membership of the initiative launched last July to 50 states together with an observer, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Bush administration said yesterday. Other partners include Australia, Britain, France, Germany and Japan.

The initiative calls for collaboration in efforts at, among other things, improving control of nuclear materials, and detecting and cracking down on illicit trafficking of such materials.

The Global Initiative is a joint initiative launched by the US President George W Bush and Russian President Putin that expands partnership capacity to combat the global threat of nuclear terrorism.

At the most recent meeting of the Global Initiative in Ankara, Turkey, on February 12-13, 2007, partner nations emphasised the importance of increasing partnership and participation by nations committed to combating nuclear terrorism.

UNI